Shaquille O’Neal is easily one of the most notable personalities the NBA and the entertainment world at large has ever known. The man known as The Diesel tends to joke around on occasion and sometimes doesn’t hesitate to throw out a one-liner or two. This, however, got him into a bit of hot water after he commented on Megan Thee Stallion’s Instagram Live broadcast, leading many to believe he was hitting on the rapper. Now, O’Neal is setting the record straight on the matter.
In a recent Instagram Live stream, Megan Thee Stallion proceeded to show off her twerking skills, with a number of fans watching and commenting. Shaquille O’ Neal was among those who tuned in and, in a comment, he mentioned that he was “watching the booty.” O’Neal later explained to ET that the statement was the result of an exchange with another user:
First of all there's nothing to call out. I was on the line and I was in the comments and somebody was talking smack, like, 'What are you doing?' And I was like, 'I'm watching the booty. What do you mean what am I doing?' That's what twerking is for, right?
It would seem that the Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t actually trying to shoot his shot with Megan Thee Stallion but was there to take in the clip like everyone else. He then proceeded to double down on his sentiments, admitting that he finds her attractive but saying he wasn’t hitting on her:
The stuff that goes viral, but everyone's like, 'He's hitting on Meg.' I'm not hitting on Meg. Listen, she is so athletic, so beautiful and so gorgeous and the fact that she does it in a positive way, she's doing her thing. So kudos to her, shouts out to her. Listen, she's a beautiful girl, but the Shaq is not hitting on her.
Aside from her successful career as a rapper, Megan Thee Stallion has also become a significant force in the social media world. She’s amassed quite a following and has posted twerking videos and natural, makeup-free selfies.
Making a stray comment on Instagram is far from the craziest situation Shaquille O’Neal has found himself in this year. The Hall of Famer stirred up a bit of controversy when he surprisingly popped up in Netflix’s Tiger King. Shaq later clarified that he was not actually friends with controversial ex-Zoo owner Joe Exotic but was only “a visitor” to his now-closed animal park.
If anything, the situation between Shaq and Megan Thee Stallion is mostly a testament to the rapper’s rising star power. The fact that she can draw in a major name like Shaq is impressive. Let’s just hope any future comments from fellow celebrities don’t venture into awkward territory.
